Structure is added to Sears' fashions

Men's clothing label is aimed at younger buyers

Sears, Roebuck and Co. executives are hoping to groom a new generation of shoppers by buying the once-hip Structure clothing label.

Sears said Monday that it paid less than $10 million to buy the rights to the Structure name from Limited Brands Inc. of Columbus, Ohio. The deal does not include inventory or employees.

The Hoffman Estates retailer expects Structure--once a popular apparel brand that carved a niche between the conservative style of Polo and Banana Republic's safari look--will provide an inroad to young male shoppers, particularly those between the ages of 20 and 35.

That demographic is one that Sears feels is overlooked by its Lands' End and Covington labels popular among 35- to 55-year-olds.

"It fits a gap we see that is not in our assortment right now," said Mindy Meads, head of apparel for Sears and its Lands' End unit. "It's one piece we thought was a perfect fit."

Even so, the Structure label is not wrinkle-free.

Retail critics say it is a dying label that Limited Brands Inc. abandoned two years ago. When Limited launched Structure in 1987, it was well-received among male shoppers who liked the stylish clothes at moderate prices. The chain grew to more than 400 stores but started losing money in 1997 and never recovered.

Limited executives rebranded the name as Express Men's in 2001 and folded it into Express, its profitable clothing division that sold trendy women's fashions.

But Structure is still a recognized name among shoppers, and that could work to the advantage of Sears.

"Structure, although it has been out of the Limited portfolio, is a brand at least consumers will recognize," said Jeff Stinson, a retail analyst at Midwest Research in Cleveland. "It will be easier for Sears to gain traction, as opposed to developing a new brand."

Skeptics are not convinced that adding Structure to the Sears apparel lineup will help invigorate the softer, yet struggling, side of Sears.

For years, Sears has carved a reputation as the place to buy auto supplies, tools and appliances. Its private-label brands of Craftsman, Diehard and Kenmore rank among the most recognized names among consumers.

Retail industry watchers say Sears is desperately trying to replicate that success and name recognition with its apparel.

Sears is paring down its offerings to a few in-house basics--Covington, Apostrophe and Canyon River Blues. Two years ago it added Lands' End to the mix, and this fall the new Lucy Pereda will cater to minority shoppers.

Now, Sears hopes Structure will lure a younger audience.

"It's going to be hard to get those people into Sears," said Laura Ries, president of Ries & Ries, a marketing strategy firm in Washington, D.C. "They really see Sears as a stodgy place and not a place to buy hip clothes. Sears in most minds doesn't stand for fashion."

Carrie Shigetomi, who will join Sears on Friday as vice president of brand development, will be put in charge of designing and developing the Structure line. At her previous post at Calvin Klein she was vice president of design administration and product development.

Sears declined to elaborate on whether the Structure line, set to debut in stores by the end of next year, would expand beyond men's clothing.

Sears has tried to reach out to younger consumers before in a foray that ended as a marketing nightmare.

The retailer inked a deal in 1998 for an exclusive clothing line with Benetton USA. Sears plowed millions into the deal, including pricey fixtures to highlight the clothing.

But Sears pulled the plug on the deal shortly after the clothes hit the floor to disassociate itself from Benetton, which had launched a controversial advertising campaign that featured Death Row inmates.